The Puppet Master
by alexiaroosenhaan
Summary: Within the tangled strings of deception, those with power hold onto it with an iron grip. King Jakobbah of Illéa is no exception. He is toxic to those around him if it's to his benefit. But the country on the brink of revolution, a Selection might be his last resort. Everyone has secrets in this game of thrones, and the puppet master will pull as many strings as he needs to. SYOC
1. Prologue

**THE PUPPET MASTER**

Prologue

"Everything can change in an instant. Everything. And then there is only before and after."

~Jared~

It's crazy how everything you know can be nothing but an illusion. How everything you hold dear can be ripped away in the blink of an eye. It only took one sentence for me to realize that my whole life was a lie.

My breath hitched as I stared out of the foggy window of the car. The dark sky was devoid of stars, the only illumination coming from the street lamps that cast eerie shadows across the sidewalks. I shivered, letting out a puff of air that was visible in the cold weather.

Snowflakes fell in graceful patterns, covering the ground in a thin coat of white. I would have been more appreciative of its beauty if I weren't so freakin cold. Growing up in Angeles had sheltered me from the biting cold of winter, so I'm certainly not accustomed to the harsh cold winter provides in other provinces.

Honestly, I have no idea where I'm going. I was kicked out of my life about 3 hours ago, and so far, I've avoided thinking about what I'm going to do with myself now.

My mind has been torturing me with every detail of the conversation that changed my life, playing on repeat like a never-ending horror movie.

The whole day had been enjoyable and relaxing, which should have been suspicious if I had cared to think about it. Livvy and Kayleigh, my younger twin sisters, coerced me into joining them for Karaoke, hosted by none other than Grayson Kingsley, the Report Show Host and my best friend. Each of my siblings put on a performance, and Grayson applauded us all, despite our lack of any musical talent whatsoever.

Tyler, my 13 year old brother with an ego bigger than the world, blackmailed me into singing a duet from a Barbie song with him, and you can guess how that ended. I'm surprised no one started crying of a broken ear drum from our off key pterodactyl screeches.

Despite our horrific attempts at singing, we all returned to the palace in high spirits. It was then that my parents decided to break the news to me. They called me into the throne room, which was only used on formal occasions, and that alone was nerve racking. Despite my apprehension, I was still at ease after busting my gut from laughing. However, the king delivered the blow quickly and coldly, not leaving me much time to process.

"Jared, you're not my biological son." Way the rip the band-aid off, dad.

Obviously, my first reaction was denial. I mean, you can't just break news like that to your kid and expect them to calmly accept it and walk away.

"Of course I am. You're my father," I explained to him stupidly.

"No, Jared. My real son is living on the other side of the country, where he is safe."

"What?" I was incredulous. Was this some sort of joke? I looked toward my mother for some sort of sign that my dad was out of his mind. Her smile wasn't very reassuring, but it soothed me all the same. My dad looked at her for help, and her soft voice steadied my racing heart.

"Jared, I need you to be patient and hear me out. This is very important." I nodded, though thoroughly perplexed, as she seemed to mentally prepare herself, looking to my father for confidence.

"You know that when every first born royal child of Illéa is born, the royal oracle makes a prophecy about them."

I nodded slowly, still not quite catching on. Of course I knew. Everyone knew. Seeking out the oracle in the month prior to the baby's birth was a tradition that the King and Queen of Illéa had started over 8 generations ago. Every baby received a prophecy that was officially announced sometime after their 20th birthday, the week before the Selection was hosted.

My 20th birthday was in two weeks, and it was a nationwide event that was eagerly anticipated by the whole country.

"Your mother and I decided to seek out the oracle in her 8th month of pregnancy. But the prophecy… it was not one of prosperity."

My blood chilled. For as long as magic had existed, there had never been a prophecy that did not predict blessing and good fortune. For there to be even a chance that the heir would bring destruction and chaos… it was terrifying to consider.

"This prophecy was one of blood."

My heart stopped, and for a moment, my lungs refused to take in any air.

"The vision the oracle saw predicted that there was a chance the prince would be murdered before his 20th birthday."

My brain was foggy as I struggled to follow the conversation. Was my father telling me I was probably going to be killed within the next two weeks?

My father's voice remained steady and cold as he continued.

"We had to protect the heir at all costs. He was our number one priority, so we devised a plan. We announced the prince's birth two weeks after he was really born, hiding him from the public so his true birthday wouldn't be known."

My brain was still hazy. Was he telling me that I was safe now? And why did he keep referring to me as 'the prince,' as though I wasn't in the room with him?

"In the 2 weeks before the prince's birth was announced, we hid him away so he would be safe until his 20th birthday. But we couldn't simply send him away, because he could easily be hunted down and we could see his prophecy come to fruition. We had to replace him with another baby, a false prince." He paused before continuing. "You."

My head pounded and the room spun, but my feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I moaned. In an instant, my mother was by my side, resting a comforting hand on my back, but the world was still in a haze.

I took another moment to process before finally sputtering a string of incoherent language.

"But- I- never- it was- was all a lie?"

"Yes," my mother spoke from beside me, her eyes full of sorrow. "We had to fool the world to protect him, so we had to fool you too."

Somehow hearing my mom confirm the story made it feel all too real and all too painful.

"The real prince is currently living with a wealthy family in Carolina. He goes by the name Jaxon. He has been well educated and brought up properly. It shouldn't take long before he is completely capable of assuming the role of the King." My mother answered the silent question in my eyes in a rehearsed voice, as though she had repeated this information to herself many times before. "I haven't seen him since he was born," she said, her eyes downcast.

I felt a sting of betrayal as she talked about the real prince, her real son.

"He'll be arriving at the palace tomorrow. You both turned 20 yesterday, so we will be able to safely announce the prophecy and the new prince on the report this Friday." My father spoke so calmly, like he wasn't throwing away my life with every word that left his mouth. "Jaxon will host his selection shortly after, as soon as he feels his is ready."

"And what about me?" I finally asked, terrified of the answer.

"You will be sent to live with your biological cousins in Dakota. We cannot afford to give you a proper send-off, so you will leave tonight. There will be enough commotion with Jaxon arriving tomorrow, so we don't want to overwhelm the public with a sendoff for you, as well."

He said it in such a cold and careless manner that I had trouble breathing. I had thought it couldn't hurt any more than it did after being stabbed in the back by my parents, but having my own father tell me that I wasn't important enough to say goodbye to was like him twisting the knife.

"Am I not even allowed to say goodbye to my siblings?"

"I allowed you all of today to say goodbye to my children. That should have been enough time to satisfy you."

The way he called them his children, like I wasn't one of them, was enough to tell me that I wasn't wanted here anymore. But that didn't make it any easier to leave.

So now, here I am, sitting cold, numb, and all alone, driving through the middle of nowhere to live with a family I had never met.

I've never known what true betrayal feels like until today.

* * *

 **Hi! it's me! I've decided to start another syoc, and it's full of mystery and magic! the SYOC form is on my profile, as well as a description of the members of the royal family and some more details about the princes. for the record, Jared will be returning due to public demand to cohost the selection with Jaxon, and that will be cleared up in the next chapter. the rules are below, and I've included an extended summary for those of you who are confusedxD  
**

Summary

In a world full of magic, mystery, and lies, those who have power will do anything to keep it. King Jakobbah of Illéa is determined to keep his crown, and he isn't afraid of hurting those around him in the process. But with a rebellion brewing, the selection may be the only way to keep his family safe and keep a firm grip on his throne. With two boys vying for the crown and 35 girls competing for their hearts, deception and manipulation hold the kingdom together. Everyone has secrets in this game of thrones, and this puppet master is determined to pull as many strings as necessary to keep his hold on the crown.

 **In case you're still confused, Jared will be coming back, and he and Jaxon will cohost a selection filled with Trials for both them and their selected to determine who will be the better king. Magic exists but is mostly unused due to its dangerous nature, however, there are obviously some situations(like the Oracle and the prophecy) in which it is used. It is legal to use, however, it is very rare and only used in desperate situations. If you're still confused about anything, feel free to PM me or leave a review and I'll do my best to clarify for you! again, things will be made a lot more clear in the next chapter, but the prologue was necessary to set the stage. if you're interested in submitting a character, the form is on my profile.  
**

Rules:

1\. Please be diverse! I love different appearances and personality, so be creative!

2\. Please give me new, unique characters. I don't want characters you've already submitted to other stories, sorry:(

3\. You can submit a max of 2 characters, and they are allowed to know each other.

4\. This is NOT a first come first serve. I cannot stress how important this is. I will be choosing the most detailed, thought out characters that fit the story, and if your character is flat or does not fit with the story line, I have the right to turn them down, so please don't get upset if your character is rejected.

5\. DETAIL! I love detail, and the more detail your character has, the better chance they have of becoming a main and making it further in the selection.

6\. I'll only be accepting characters through PM. I'm sorry to all the guests, but I need to be able to speak to you about your character. If you do submit, please title the PM First Name, Last Name: The Puppet Master.

7\. I love creative backgrounds and names, so feel free to have fun with creating your girls! Unique names are my favorites, but don't go so crazy that the name looks like something from a different language that would be impossible to pronounce.

8\. This will be a very interactive story, so if you have pinterest, please feel free to create a board for your character! My pinterest is Alexia Roosenhaan, and I have lots of boards, such as clothes, social media, face claims, and just extra random stuff that inspires the story.

 **That's all I can think of at the moment, but if you have any questions, please PM me and I'll do my best to answer!**

 **After I receive all the applications, I'll divide the characters into 10 main and 10 supporting, so I'll be accepting 20 total. The more detail and creativity to the character, the more likely they are to get a main status.**

 **Also, this chapter is definitely one of the shorter ones, and I promise everything after will be longer, and I'll be rotating povs between Jared and Jaxon. Have fun creating!**

 **~lexi**


	2. Chapter 1

**THE PUPPET MASTER**

Chapter One

" _In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety."_

~Jaxon~

My life sucks.

I mean sure, I'm the new Crown Prince. I'm now living in a castle with people waiting on me hand and foot. I can have anything I want.

Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am. That I am so blessed to have this opportunity. That I should be honored.

But no one seems to care that my life was ripped away from me in the blink of an eye.

Believe it or not, I had a life before this. A family. Friends. I was happy. I never asked for this. And yet I was supposed to act like it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I guess it actually was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I'm throwing myself a pity party here, so lets not think about that.

My arrival at the palace was broadcasted live and would be replayed on the report tonight, where the king and queen would announce me as the replacement prince.

If it were up to the king, he'd also be announcing my selection, but I have to draw the line somewhere. I told him I wasn't ready to host a selection yet, and being the considerate, sensitive, empathetic man he is, he's allowing me to wait until next week to announce my selection. Did I mention how thoughtful he is? I'm so proud to be his son. (Note the sarcasm.)

I've been surrounded ever since I got here, servants and maids clamoring over me, and yet, I've never felt more alone.

It's obvious that none of the royal children think of me as their brother. They've all avoided me, shooting me glares whenever I dare look their way. Even the servants don't dare look me in the eyes, edging around me and never coming within five feet of me unless it's absolutely necessary.

I'm completely isolated. Even Rain, my best friend from back home, hasn't contacted me yet.

Granted, it's literally only been 28 minutes since my plan landed, but that's not important. I'm feeling sorry for myself right now, so I'm ignoring all the positive things in my life.

I miss Rain. It's very possible that I'll never see her again. She promised she'd visit me, but is seems very unlikely, considering that when I first met her, she was a sick, angry, homeless girl that I had all but kidnapped. Our first meeting was less than appropriate, giving my new parents solid grounds for not allowing Rain to visit the palace.

In spite of her past, Rain has been living with me and my parents for what feels like forever. She's practically my sister and has been my best friend ever since I found her on the street and adopted her.

It took some time to break her in as my new best friend, but I knew she was perfect when my cats accepted her. My cats have the final say in everything. They are the most important things in my life. I mean, I also love coffee, but lets keep our priorities straight here.

I miss my cats, too. I miss everything about my old life, but I suppose I'm lucky that I have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

A loud knock jolted me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Prince Tyler and Princess Sophie, the two youngest members of the royal family.

The tentative smile was wiped off my face as they met me with identical twin scowls and crossed arms.

"We've come to interrogate you," Sophie informed me, her 6 year old voice sounding much too mature for her appearance.

Smoothing her white, ruffled dress, Sophie sat on the bed next to me, delicately crossing her legs and folding her hands on her knees.

I suppressed a smile at the sight, but Tyler's fiercely passionate voice sobered me up.

"Jaxon Lainse." I noted his use of my previous last name. It was probably just me being paranoid, but I figured that he didn't accept me as part of his family so he felt the need to remind me that I was still a Lainse, not a Romero. Not his older brother.

"Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Then let's begin. Did you know you were a prince before today?" Tyler stopped his pacing to make eye contact with me. He was incredibly intimidating for a 15 year old.

"No, I had no idea," I told him honestly.

Tyler narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you want to be Crown Prince?"

I hesitated. The obvious answer was yes. I should be eager to become king and rule a country and take the crown. But something about the way they looked at me told me that they may not want the obvious answer.

Sophie shifted impatiently, her golden curls bouncing on her shoulders as her blue eyes bore into mine, anticipating my answer.

I didn't know what they wanted from me, but I had to guess.

"I've been brought up well and I believe that I am capable of assuming the role of Crown Prince and leading our country to prosperity," I answered, not fully addressing the question.

Tyler's brown eyes were filled with such contempt and resentment that I flinched away from his glare.

Apparently, I had guessed wrong.

"I know you think that you're good enough to be king, but Jared has been training for this since he was born. Jared deserves that crown, not you. He's worked for it, but it's just been handed to you. Jared has always been there for us, and now you think that you can just walk into our lives and replace him like nothing ever happened. Well, you know what, you can't! We may share the same blood, but you will never be my brother!" Tyler spit at me, storming out of the room after finishing his rant.

I flinched, cringing away from Sophie as she followed him without sparing a second glance at me, leaving me alone in my room for the second time today.

Screw manliness. I was about to cry.

I missed my home, I missed my cats, I missed Rain. No one wanted me there. Who was I kidding? I couldn't become a prince. I'd never had the pressure and responsibility that came with leading a country. Tyler was right. I couldn't do this. I didn't deserve to be their brother or their king.

 _You sound like an insecure, self pitying, angst ridden teenage girl,_ I chided myself. _Get over yourself, stupid head._

After I was finished throwing my second pity party of the day, spite welled up inside me. Who did Tyler think he was, telling me I didn't deserve to be his brother? He didn't know a thing about me, and I wasn't about to let him define me because I'm not the brother he wants.

I was fuming as I marched to the kings office, banging my fist on his wooden door. He had pressured me to host a selection, and if that was the last thing everyone expected me to do, then it was the perfect example to show them that I didn't care what they thought of me.

By hosting a selection, I'd be stepping out of my comfort zone a little. Okay, I'd be barreling out of my comfort zone off a cliff into a pit of fire spitting crocodiles.

But sometimes, you need to cross that rickety bridge to explore of world of new possibilities.

At least, that's what I tried to convince myself as I stood in front of King Jakob, about to hurtle myself off that cliff into the mouths of hungry crocodiles.

"I'm ready to host the selection."

* * *

I flashed a charming smile to the cameras, blinking in relief as the blinding glare of the spotlight was shifted from me to King Jakob, who began explaining the procedures of the selection.

I was still in shock, quite like most of the country. The King had just dumped the news on them, reciting the prophecy and giving them the same speech he had given to me. A false prince, a terrifying prophecy, and a new selection.

Quite melodramatic. It felt like a soap opera. Personally. I thought the whole thing could have been handled a little better, but I didn't have time to dwell on that thought as Grayson Kingsley turned to me with a forced smile and questioned me about my upcoming selection.

"Prince Jaxon, are you prepared to host a selection after to recently becoming prince?" All eyes were on me as I shifted in my stool, flashing another pleasant smile as I mentally rehearsed the preplanned answer the king had recited to me.

"It's still all quite a shock, but it's been incredibly easy to settle in as the new Crown Prince. The royal family is very welcoming, and I already feel at home," I babbled, avoiding Tyler's eyes from across the stage.

"Although it will be another adjustment, I believe a selection is exactly what I need to transition into this new life," I smiled.

Thankfully, that was all the attention I got before Grayson directed the spotlight back to the King, who explained that forms would be sent out the next day and the selected would be announced on the Report in two weeks.

When the curtains fell and the lights shut off, I sat in the same stool, not moving an inch, until the whole stage had been completely vacated.

When I was finally alone, I allowed the painful smile to drop off my face as I stared into my lap, blinking back tears.

What was I thinking? I couldn't host a selection. I couldn't be the next King. I was only a kid!

Completely overwhelmed, I sat, alone with my thoughts, drifting off the sleep on the floor beside my lonely stool.

A piercing light broke through my eyelids what felt like moments later as the King stormed onto the stage, a grim expression on his face.

"It seems you haven't made quite the impression we were hoping for."

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, giving him a confused look as the royal family filtered into the room behind him.

First a guilty looking Sophie, followed by Tyler, looking not quite so guilty, and finally the twins, Kayleigh and Olyvia, who wore identical smirks.

They all stared at me expectantly, and I started, realizing they were waiting for me to say something.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Sophie here seemed to think that it would be appropriate to cry her eyes out on national television, wailing about how Jared, her "real" brother, would have made a better king and it should be him hosting the selection, not you." The king glared at Sophie, who shrunk further behind Tyler.

"She managed to convince Tyler, Kayleigh, and Olyvia to support her. The idiots practically begged the country to bring Jared back," the king sighed, giving each of his children a pointed look in the eye.

"Their speech has already circulated around the country, inciting a much bigger effect than they bargained for. It's too late to take it back." The King paused, but I was already filled with dread.

They didn't want me. I knew Sophie and Tyler wished they still had Jared, but I didn't know the whole country felt the same way.

I couldn't push back the sting of betrayal as I looked into their eyes and saw that they didn't care how this affected me. They only wanted their brother back. And in spite of the fact that I never really was their sibling, it still hurt. I didn't want this either. It wasn't my fault. I never wanted to take their brother away from them.

"The public is rioting. They don't hate you, but they adored Jared. They want him back. And we can't afford a rebellion because of this. We need a solution."

The King looked at me as though I were supposed to immediately offer up a resolution.

After assaulting me with his piercing stare, he sighed, turning away.

"I figured as much," he mumbled, stinging my pride.

A sharp, repeated _click_ echoed distinctly off the stage as Princess Aspynn stalked in, immediately commanding attention. Easily the most beautiful but also the most intimidating princess, Aspynn's ability to capture the attention of the room rose me to my feet, as if I was instinctively trying to assert my dominance.

I snorted at my thought. Trying to assert my dominance? Who even says that?

Aspynn snapped me out of my thoughts when she began speaking.

"What if Jared and Jaxon both hosted a selection?" Everyone stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"What exactly are you proposing here, Aspynn?" The King asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"What if we brought Jared back, giving the public what they want, but also let Jaxon stay? They could co-host a selection to prove which of them would be ther better king, and in the end, the country could vote for who they want to be king. It's the perfect way to show that Jaxon is cabale of ascending to the crown without giving to public a reason to protest," she explained calmly, unfazed by his tone. Her unflinching ability to look him in the eye gave me more respect for her.

A small part of me squealed in excitement. Aspynn believed in me. She thought I could prove I deserved to be king.

I couldn't keep a grin from spreading across my face, which drew the king's attention. He gave me a small nod of acknowledgement, assuming my smile meant I approved of her idea.

Honestly, I thought it was brilliant. The country would get their prince back, I wouldn't have to face the selection alone, and there wouldn't be as much pressure on me. There was even a chance that I wouldn't become the next king.

The rest of the royal family seemed to agree with me.

"It's perfect! Please daddy, please?" A chorus of pleads arose as the twins begged their father, and I looked toward him hopefully.

"I'll have to discuss it with the board, but it's definitely a very solid idea," the king gave Aspynn a nod of praise, making her beam with pleasure.

Jakob interrupted the cheers his declaration incited with a more serious voice, "Of course, there will be trials. Both you and Jared and possibly even the selected will be tested to determine who is more capable of assuming the role of Crown Prince. You must succeed," he said, giving me a pointed stare.

I nodded obediently but shared the joy of the rest of the family. Even if I wanted this for different reasons, at least it meant I wasn't alone anymore.

"If my advisors approve and think we can pull this off, we'll arrange for Jared to arrive here tomorrow and inform Illéa of the change immediately," the King mused.

"But this means that none of you can speak of word of this until it is confirmed," he clarified sternly. "Understand?"

We all nodded vigorously, and I felt a rush of relief.

The king gave a nod of satisfaction.

"Then it is settled. If the board approves, then you and Jared will host the selection of the century."

* * *

 **hey guys! here's the second chapter! sorry that it's kind of crappy and rushed and probably doesn't make any sense, but I just wanted to update.**

 **hopefully this chapter cleared things up a little for yall, but if you're still confused about the whole jaxon/jared situation or just anything please, please pm me or leave a review and i'd be happy to explain!**

 **thanks so much to morethanjustastory, rysaspirit, XOStarbrightXO, chocolatebunnyhills, lol, IMadeUReadThisI, and livlaughlove for reviewing! yall are the best!**

 **hopefully I'll get the next chapter out next week, and then the selection process should start to pick up. these chapters are just necessary to set the stage.**

 **thanks for reading!**

 **~lexi**


	3. Chapter 2

THE PUPPET MASTER

Chapter Two

" _Everybody has gone through something that has changed them in a way that they could never go back to the person they once were."_

~Jared~

Spots swarm before my eyes as my vision blurred. My eyes stung with wet, sticky paint as cringed at the pain.

"Ack!" Wiping blue glop from my face, I glared at Tyler, who shot me an apologetic look and mouthed 'I was aiming for Jaxon.'

Still blinded by the pain of splotchy paint covering my face, I grabbed a soiled towel, already soaked in the other paint I had spilled, and used it to wipe my face.

To say that I wasn't an artist was an understatement.

Tyler laughed at me from behind the bucket of paint he was holding up to Aspynn, who added a fresh coat of paint to the wall she was facing. She didn't have a spot of paint on her white frock, demonstrating her expertise.

Rolling my eyes, I dipped my paintbrush in the bucket of paint labeled Purple Haze that did not look purple or hazy. Stroking the wall, I shot an envious glare at Jaxon, who had already successfully painted his whole section of the wall and was moving on to study new swatches of paint.

Lillian Demure, the palace coordinator and newly elected head of the Event Planning board, had "suggested" that Jaxon and I spend some quality time together while preparing for the selected to arrive.

Her idea of spending quality time was a girls day out where we had girl talk about fabrics for dresses, shades for walls, and a variety of new furniture that needed to be imported.

We've spent the last two hours comparing shades of paint and inspecting colors of nail polish and debating the merits of silk verses velvet. And then, as if we didn't already have enough alone time for our girls day, Lillian came up with the brilliant idea of giving us some "hands on experience" by suggesting we paint and decorate the model bedroom for the selected.

And the top it all off, Jaxon had experience in painting. He had an 'artistic eye' or something, and he was getting all the praise for selecting such wonderful colors for the girls rooms and for so cleanly painting his section of the room.

The little prick thought he was good at everything. I was just shipped back to the palace yesterday morning, and he insisted on formally greeting me and welcoming me, as if I hadn't lived here my entire life.

But what aggravated me the most was how modest he appeared to be. It was probably all a ruse, a façade to woo us all, but it grated on my nerves nonstop. I wanted to hate him, but he just seemed to innocent and humble, which enraged me because it gave me absolutely no grounds to despise him

My intent dislike for him took another blow when Aspynn reasoned to me that he had no say of this either and that it wasn't his idea to steal my life.

However, even though my parents seemed intent on pretending I had never existed, Tyler was doing everything in his power to prove that I was his real brother. He was determined to make sure Jaxon was aware of who he prioritized.

I had to admit, Tyler's devotion and loyalty to me built up my confidence. It was nice knowing that my little brother looked up to me.

I had probably talked to Tyler the most after arriving yesterday, and he explained in detail why I was thrust back into my former life only to share the spotlight with Jaxon, the rightful prince.

I had avoided talking about my biological family, and he had sensed my apprehension and wisely avoided asking me about it. I had stayed with them for not even 2 days, but I wasn't willing to relive those memories yet. That was a part of my life I was going to push under the rug for now.

Throwing a careless splash of paint on the wall, I threw a grateful glance toward Aspynn, whose presence was easing the tension. She and Tyler had decided to join us in our painting job, much to Lillian's dismay. However, Aspynn was polite, if not friendly, to Jaxon, and though it felt a little like betrayal, she balanced out Tyler's obvious hatred toward him.

Jaxon was an expert when it came to painting, which drove me up the wall. He obviously loved to paint, and he took pride in it. I lacked any artistic genes whatsoever, but Jaxon seemed to be particularly gifted in that area.

His white sleeves were speckled with paint as he rolled them up to his elbows, his tan, muscular arms straining through the shirt's thin material as he stroked the wall with gray paint. I felt like an insecure teenage girl as I compared myself to him, but I couldn't repress the sting of jealousy. Did I look that good right now?

Scowling, I turned back to the wall, completely oblivious to the handful of paint that Tyler had just lobbed into the air.

Everything else seemed to happen in slow motion: Tyler's extended arm released the ball of gray paint that was slowly dissipating in the air, I ducked out the way just in time to see the paint soar past my face and land on Jaxon's behind with a splat.

Tyler and I stared at him in horror for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction before it was obvious that he thought Aspynn had initiated the blow. Playfully spraying her with paint, Jaxon retaliated with an innocent grin.

Aspynn shrieked and gasped before hurtling a lob of paint back at him and missing, hitting me instead.

Faking anger, I darted toward her, painting a streak of gray on her white pants, and before I knew it, a paint war had incited.

Globs of paint were flung into air, the immaculate walls were now specked with heavy, wet paint, everyone had paint in their hair, in their eyes, on the their clothes, and playful cries echoed on through the room.

Despite the tension previously filling the air, we were having fun. And I had to admit, Jaxon was proving to be a little easier to get along with then I initially thought.

"Aspynn, can I pleaseeeee have Angeles? I'll let you have Carolina," Livvy begged, holding out a fresh envelope to Aspynn, whose blonde hair was now matted with dried paint.

All the members of the royal family who wished to were allowed to pick one girl of the selection, and in spite of my father's protests, Jaxon and I had been permitted to watch.

Tyler had refused, insisting he had other, more important matters to attend to, and both of my parents were too busy, leaving the task to the 4 princesses of Illea.

"All right! But then let Kayleigh have Kent," Aspynn prodded Olyvia, who reluctantly handed the crisp form to her twin.

It was mayhem. We were still in the room that was in the process of being painted, but Lillian had been so horrified at our antics that she insisted we quit immediately. However, she couldn't prevent Kayleigh, Livvy, and Sophie from barging in to include Aspynn in selecting a form.

"I want Tammins," Sophie announced, looking at me from under her long eyelashes.

I winked at her, causing her to giggle. Even though I had only been away from the palace for two days, I had missed my sweet little Sophie.

"Ooooh, this one's pretty!" Kayleigh waved a form in the air. "It says she's deaf, too, so she deserves to be selected. Emory-"

"Kayleigh, the boys aren't allowed to see the forms!" Livvy scolded her sister, throwing herself in front of Emory's photo before Jaxon and I could get a good look at her. Jaxon chuckled and I repressed a smiled, but Kayleigh carefully folded the form back inside the crisp envelope and set in neatly in the basket.

"That's the one I pick," she announced to us all before sitting back and rocking on her heels.

"I found a really pretty one from Tammins," Sophie proclaimed proudly, showing her form discreetly to the other girls, eliciting nods of appreciation.

"Lennox O- Obray-" Sophie stuttered over the name on her form, her eyebrows scrunched in concentration, before Kayleigh came to her aid, reading the name over her shoulder.

"Lennox O'Bradaín. That's a hard one Soph."

"But she's really pretty," Sophie insisted, and we all nodded along absentmindedly.

Proudly placing her form in the basket next to Kayleigh's, Sophie looked expectantly at Aspynn and Livvy.

The process was fun, but I wished we had more of a say in the girls, or at least got to see who they chose. I didn't get a good look at Lennox or Emory, and despite my sister's assurances that they were pretty, I was curious to see them myself.

Aspynn had a mischievous look on her face as she drew a form, flashing a pretty blonde before us for just a moment before placing the form in the basket. I didn't see much of the girl, but Jaxon's face went slack at her appearance.

I was about to question him when Livvy announced her choice with a flourish.

"Kalina Everheart! She's gorgeous and she's a socialite, so I'm sure we'll be best friends," Livvy announced dramatically, and I rolled my eyes at her.

Out of everyone in my family, my relationship with Livvy was the most unstable. In spite of her undeniable ability to make anyone laugh, I was vocal about my disapproval of her party going attitude. I loved her to death, but I didn't know if I wanted a socialite to participate in the selection, especially if she might be a bad influence on my sister.

However, I figured that Kalina deserved a chance, so I shrugged as Livvy dramatically threw the envelope into the basket.

"That's the last one! At least you boys have an idea of what to expect now, oui?" I rolled by eyes at Livvy's use of French. She only spoke French because she thought it sounded pretty, but she was sure to use it whenever she could just to show off her perfected accent.

"Aspynn, you remember all the provinces we chose, right?" Kayleigh questioned her older sister as she girls began to filter out of the room, the click of their heels on the marble floor overpowering their fading voices.

"Tammins, Carolina, Kent…" I looked at Jaxon as we were left alone in the room.

"Well…" I prompted, hoping to get his attention.

He looked up abruptly, as if being shaken out of a daydream.

"We sure made a mess, didn't we," he chuckled weakly, offering me a feeble smile.

"Yep," I sighed, my voice much less energetic than I had intended it to be. Though I still wasn't sure how I felt about him yet, I didn't have the energy to hate Jaxon.

Offering him a small smile, I stood and left the room, my farewell echoing off the freshly painted walls.

* * *

~Third Person POV~

 _A carefree young girl skipped along the streets of Angeles, blissfully unaware of the masked man who slunk behind her, concealed by the shadows._

 _With a spring in her step, the girl giddily raced for a dull house at the end of the lane, oblivious of the masked man who slipped into the dark alley behind her home, confronting a miserable looking woman who lay in the shadows._

 _The masked man dismissed the dark shadow lurking by the woman, waiting until he was alone with the woman to observe her._

 _The woman trembled, her lip quivering as her sobs echoed off the dark walls of the alley._

 _Her blood stained the gravel as her body twisted gruesomely, her once beautiful face twisted into a mask of terror and pain._

 _"Please! I don't know anything, I swear," she sobbed, her wretched voice prompting a sneer from the masked man._

 _"Don't lie to me, woman," the masked man spoke, his voice an octave lower that the woman's shrieks._

 _He lost his temper as her eyes pleaded with him silently, begging for mercy that she didn't deserve._

 _A gunshot rang out as the woman crumpled to the ground, the bullet ripping into her side. However, she did not make a sound._

 _A cold slap across her face provoked a pathetic whimper from the woman._

 _"Tell me what you know about the prophecy." The man's demand was calm and quiet, his deadly fury a fierce contrast to the desperate, high pitched cries of terror that escaped the woman's mouth._

 _Despite her fear, defiance shone brightly from her eyes as she twisted to face the man, who face a fierce mask of hatred._

 _"Very well then," the man sighed, firing the last of the bullets into the woman's heart and discarding the gun to the side of the gravel road._

 _The masked man looked down his nose at the bloodied woman, scoffing at her lack of strength. He nudged her with the toe of his black boot, walking away only after deeming her dead._

 _His sharp boots clicked along the pavement as the masked man slunk along the brick walls, blending in seamlessly with the black shadows._

 _As the dark alley slowly melted into a cheerful street brimming with flowers and glowing smiles, the man's gait became more confident._

 _His scowl melted into a charming grin and his mask was thrown off to reveal a pair of stunning blue eyes._

 _The man eased into the church sitting in the center of the town, greeted by a chorus of friendly hellos._

 _A youthful blonde skipped up to him, unfazed by his dark attire, and planted a kiss on one of his well shaven cheeks._

 _The man had transformed from a cruel, heartless monster to a well respected gentlemen within moments._

 _Linking arms with the beautiful blonde, he walked down the aisle of the church, taking his seat in one of the pews and bowing his head in prayer._

 _The blonde observed him with stars in her eyes, reverently whispering sweet nothings in his ear in hopes of receiving a smile._

 _Unbeknownst to him, the little girl watched from the shadows, her giddy laugh transformed into the whisper of a tear._

 _The girl was too afraid to cry for her dead mother down the street, too afraid to stand up to the man who had killed her, to afraid to confront the man she knew as her brother._

 _So she let her tears fall silently as she hid from behind the curtains, her delicate features hardening as she vowed revenge against the monster who had killed her mother and stolen her innocence._

* * *

 **heyyy! here's chapter 3! its a little more intense(especially the last part) and probably kinda confusing, buttt everything will make sense later.  
**

 **first, I'd like to thank all my lovely reviewers! shoutout to shadesslayerprincess111(x2), ReneFurterar0(x2), chocolatebunnyhills, livlaughlove, and XOStarbrightXO. yall are great and you inspire me to write more!**

 **also, thanks to everyone who's submitted so far! I love all of your characters already:)**

 **I love reading yalls reviews so much and they inspire me, so keep in mind that more reviews means faster updatesXD**

 **and just a heads up: as far as the povs go, I'm generally going alternate between Jared and Jaxon, but some of the main characters and other members of the royal family will occasionally get povs as well. I don't want to overwhelm yall with a ton of povs, so i'll try to keep it simple, but there's some stuff that you need to find out through different characters.**

 **also - I'm hosting a cover contest, so if you're on the group pinterest board, feel free to create a cover and pin it there! the winner will get to pick the character who gets the first date and which prince they have it with.**

 **one more thing, then I promise I'm done: most of the characters I have so far are 20 yrs, and that's fine, but for the rest of the characters, other ages would be great so there's more diversity. and I have no Fours so far, most of the castes are Twos and Fives, so again, diversity!**

 **the selected will be announced in the next chapter! this one was kind of a filler, but now I think that enough girls have been submitted that I can move to the selection part. whoo! but if you're planning on submitting a girl, please let me know soon, if just so i can mention them in the next chapter. there's no rush to get the rest of the forms in, but I will be setting a due date in the next chapter just so I can move on with the story.**

 **sorry for the incredibly long authors note! love yall!**

 **~lexi**


	4. Chapter 3

**THE PUPPET MASTER**

Chapter Three

 _"_ _You never realize how lonely you are until it's the end of the day and you've got a bunch of things to talk about but no one to talk to."_

~Jaxon~

Folding my quivering hands in my lap, I forced myself to focus on Jared's words. He was speaking animatedly to Grayson, his eyes lighting up as he passionately discussed our upcoming selection.

He had been speaking to all of his loved ones about it, soaking up all the information he could get while I watched pathetically from the sidelines.

I pushed away a pang of jealously when I remembered that I didn't have any loved ones here to advise me.

Wiping my sweaty palms on my pants, I glanced back at Jared to see a rather pretty brunette speaking words of encouragement to him. I had seen the girl around the palace, but couldn't identify her. However, her presence seemed to ease Jared, who was smiling dotingly at her.

It seemed as though everyone had been supporting Jared, offering him advice and encouraging words, not paying any heed to me as I sat in the corner and sulked.

I didn't mind the lack of attention, but it got lonely after a while, watching Jared gratefully accept comfort from people who would glide past me as if I didn't exist only seconds later.

I received the distinct impression that the brunette who Jared seemed so fond of strongly disliked me as she gave him a warm smile before stalking past me with a sniff and disdainful look.

Rolling my eyes, I walked up to Grayson, who was prepping Jared and playfully teasing him about his striped tie. Grayson offered me a tentative grin before sweeping past the curtain.

"Places, everyone! We're live in 3!"

The royal family was scattered across the stage as maids scurried around, touching up makeup and adjusting stools. We took our seats and waited, and I noted that the pretty brunette that seemed partial to Jared gave him a thumbs up from behind the curtain.

I was sure I had seen her around before, but I just couldn't place her name.

We waited patiently as lights were set up, cameras were focused, and Jared and I were forced closer together to share the spotlight.

I noted that the brunette was now whispering to Aspynn. Despite looking slightly out of place sitting next to all the other royals, they appeared to be perfectly comfortable in her presence, all offering her adoring smiles.

Fidgeting with the cuffs of my suit, I clasped my hands together to prevents them from becoming a distraction.

In an attempt to calm myself, I focused on the brunette, racking my brain for her name. I was sure I had heard it somewhere… Emma, maybe? Or did it start with a P?

Grayson began counting down the seconds until the cameras would flash on, signaling the start of the Report.

"Live in 5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

"And we're live! Good evening folks, I'm Grayson Kingsley, bringing you the weekly Illéan Report from the castle here in Angeles. And tonight we have a very special announcement: two special young men are ready to host the selection of the century!"

Grayson's confident, charismatic voice incited roars of excitement from the crowd.

"Here we have our very own Prince Jaxon and Jared Romero!" The camera pivoted to capture the identical false smiles pasted on our faces.

Grayson waited for the cheering of the crowd to die down before continuing.

"As you know, these two princes are ready to co-host their very own Selection! This is a special event that Illéa has never seen before, and today, they are ready to take on the daunting task of being the only men in Illéa's history to co-host a Selection.

"Over the course of the time it will take for these two men to select a bride, there will be 3 Trials to test both our Princes and their Selected. The outcomes of these Trials will determine who is fit to rule our beloved country. But never fear, because you, the citizens of Illéa, will be left with the opportunity to vote for your ruler!"

I smiled nervously and hid my sweaty palms from view as Grayson's announcement incited another wave of cheering and roaring from the audience.

"But before we choose a King, we must choose their selected! Are you ready, Illéa?"

Grayson's wink was answered by screams of wild cheering and whoops of excitement.

I was sure to keep a charming smile pasted on my face as Grayson stood and sauntered over to the basket containing the envelopes, and I out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Jared was doing the same.

"And now… I'm proud to present our first lovely lady from Allens, Kalina Everheart, a Two!"

I beamed at the photo of Kalina, a gorgeous blonde whose bright smile was infectious. I had the vague memory of one of the Princesses selecting her form in the hastily painted room a week ago, but I couldn't remember who it was.

Attempting to calm my racing heartbeat, I unfolded my hands and dropped them, letting them dangle at my sides. _Just keep smiling and you'll be fine,_ I assured myself.

"One of our very own from Angeles, Lady Parvana Leroux, a Two!" Jared's jaw dropped as the screen displayed the photo of the same brunette that he had been so friendly with before the Report aired.

From across the stage, I identified the brunette next to Aspynn as Parvana, who was staring at her picture with wide, excited eyes. So that was her name.

I resisted smirking in amusement, noting that Jared still had a look of bewilderment on his face even as Grayson announced the selected from Atlin, Baffin, and Bankston.

Much to my chagrin, he snapped back into focus as Grayson moved on to Belcourt, my amusement fading into boredom as he regained rapt attention.

"Lady Arabella Livinely, a Four from Belcourt!" A low whistle escaped my mouth before I could help it, and several horrified laughs broke from the audience. I blushed in shame and managed to let out a bark of laughter at myself, but I couldn't help but admire Arabella's hourglass figure, flawless skin, and thick, silky chocolate hair.

I avoided Jared's gaze, which was most certainly a disapproving glare, and forced myself to smile through the next two girls.

It was my turn for my jaw to drop as Carolina was announced, shocking me out of my humiliation.

"From Carolina, Lady Rain Duchannes, a Two!" My smile melted into a ring of shock as Rain's photo appeared on the screen as I jolted in surprise.

However, my shock quickly morphed into elation as I comprehended that my best friend would be joining me.

Rain was coming! I would finally have a friend here, someone I could confide in. I wasn't sure what motivated her to enter, but I didn't dwell on that thought.

When Aspynn selected her form a week ago, I thought that I had recognized Rain from the flash of blonde and sweet smile. However, I hadn't allowed myself to harbor the hope that she might actually be selected. I made a mental note to thank Aspynn later.

I was giddy with excitement, my mind occupied with Rain and her highly anticipated arrival for the next several provinces, but I was sure to keep a charming smile plastered on my face.

We passed through several more provinces, and only Samantha Turner, a pretty Five from Fennley, stood out to me.

"A Two from Hansport, Lady Jamison Quinn." Jamison was a striking girl with auburn hair and fair skin. Though her features didn't exactly scream bright and friendly, her name is what caught my attention. Despite it not being outrageously unique, I immediately took a liking to it.

We pasted through several more provinces, my cheeks burning as I beamed at an array of stunning girls.

"Lady Emory Beckett, a Two from Kent!" Emory's name sparked the memory of Kayleigh selecting her form. I recalled that Emory was blind, but this didn't stop the beautiful blonde from smiling brightly at the camera.

I made a mental note to seek her out. My compassion and admiration for this girl already bolstered my image of Emory.

Constance Fabre from Midston was yet another girl who caught my attention. She was a Three, but it was her gorgeous golden brown hair, tanned olive skin, willowy figure, and bright smile that intrigued me.

I kept my mouth in a forced smile as girl after girl was announced, grinning until the muscles in my cheeks ached.

My hands still dangled awkwardly at my sides, so I subtly brought them to my lap and let them rest there.

Despite the lull in my interest of the girls, I couldn't help but perk up as a gorgeous brunette from Sumner was announced.

"Lady Jensen Wrenley of Sumner, a Three!" The combination of Jensen's chocolate brown hair, olive skin, and bright blue eyes painted a very striking picture, and I couldn't help but love her unique but pretty name.

"From Tammins, Lady Lennox O'Bradaín, with the Caste of Six!" Lennox drew my attention not only from her low caste and beautiful features, but from the memory of Sophie brandishing her form about, insisting she was very pretty despite not being able to pronounce her name.

We passed through the rest of the girls without any of them sparking much interest.

Femme Bali, Lindsey Donaghue, and several other names were thrown out until Grayson finally concluded the drawing with a pretty girl from Zuni.

My clammy hands shook with relief as I realized that this was almost over.

"And there you have it folks! This batch of girls forms our Selected! I would ask our two young men what they think about these ladies, but Prince Jaxon already gave us a charming display of his appreciation for their beauty," Grayson chuckled, prompting the audience to erupt in laughter.

My face burned, but I winked at the crowd anyway. _Take it in stride,_ I told myself. _You only have to handle this for a little longer. Deal with it._

I anxiously folded my hands together, wanting to wipe them on my pants but figuring that I wouldn't be able to be too discreet about it.

"Our young women of Illéa will be arriving at the palace a week from today, when we will broadcast their send offs and makeovers! Congratulations and good luck to those of you who have been selected! Be sure to tune in next week as the Selection of the century will begin!" Grayson closed with a wink and the cameras shut off as we were ushered off stage.

I could see the conflict in Jared's eyes as he debated where he should lecture me or speak to Parvana. His eyes darted back in forth between us before his rage toward me seemed to win out as he cornered me, simmering in fury.

"What was that?! You can't just wolf whistle at every pretty girl you see! Especially when you're on live television!" He seethed. "You have to uphold a certain image, and you just proved to the country that you're both immature _and_ irresponsible."

Jared seemed to have cooled down a little, but that didn't lesser my guilt.

"I'm really sorry," I apologized. "It just happened, I swear I didn't mean to embarrass you or act immature," I pleaded. But I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to the moment. That girl – Arabella? Dang, she was fine lookin'.

Jared stared me down, seeming to follow my train of thought.

"Look, I'm sorry for losing my temper and getting on your back, but you have to think about your actions when you're in this high of a position. People look up to you and you need to set a good example and earn their respect," he ranted, quickly loosing my attention.

Sure, I felt really bad about it. It was humiliating for me, as well. But couldn't Jared see that I wasn't used to this lifestyle, constantly being watched and judged and speculated over?

"You need to prove your maturity, and by whistling in the middle of the Report, you only demonstrated to all of Illéa that you can not handle to responsibility of being Prince," he continued lecturing me.

"Your immature and inappropriate behavior reflected poorly on both you and the rest of the family. You have to think about how this affects our image," he prattled.

My hands grew increasingly sweaty, but I now freely wiped them on my pants, disregarding what anyone else thought of me.

Jared continuing lecturing me with a measured voice, and I nodded along apologetically.

"I swear it won't happen again, Jared," I assured him quickly before he could cut me off and continue to berate me.

"I'll be more responsible and mature from now on. It's just really hard to measure up to everyone's expectations, and I'm not used to all the attention. You set such a good example and you handle it all so much better than I do. You've had a lifetime of experience with the spotlight. I can't imagine constantly having that much pressure on me all the time," I gushed, hoping to garner some sympathy and butter him up simultaneously.

Unfortunately, his humility got in the way of my pathetic attempt to deflate his anger, his eyes narrowing skeptically at me as he crossed his arms.

"Nice try, Jaxon. I understand that this is all new for you, and it certainly isn't easy. But you have to remember that all of Illéa is looking up to you now," he told me with a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

I attempted to look sorrowful, hoping he'd ease off me. Sighing, Jared finally turned away.

"I'm sorry for being so hard on you, but this is your life now, and the sooner you realize that and act accordingly, the better off you'll be."

Jared gave me one last look before whipping around and striding purposely toward Parvana, starting a passionate conversation with the anxious brunette.

Whatever fragile bond Jared and I had tentatively formed had obviously been demolished by my "immature and inappropriate behavior."

Sighing, I headed toward my room, distracting myself from my embarrassment by reminding myself that Rain would be keeping me company in this wretched place in only a week.

I was eager to tell someone about my day, to rant about my humiliation and Jared's assertive lecturing.

It was when I realized how desperate I was to talk to someone that I also realized how absolutely alone I was.

Rain was the person I normally went to. She was my best friend to the very end. We even made each other friendship bracelets. I typically told her everything, and I missed her calming presence.

I sighed wearily. As much as I missed her, all I could do now was anxiously wait for the selection to begin.

* * *

 **here's chapter 3! yay! I'm sorry for updating a little later than I intended! I had hoped to post two more chapters before school starts, but I'm not sure that's gona happen now. I'll definitely update much less frequently during the school year, but I promise I'll try to stay slightly consistent and update at least twice a month;)**

 **for those of you who submitted to the cover contest: thanks so much! yall are incredible, and I don't know how I'm going to choose a winner from all the amazing covers you'd made:) I'll announce the winner in the next chapter, which will be posted in about 1 week(hopefully), so you have until then to continue making covers.**

 **as far as the characters go: the next chapter will be the interviews, so I can only feature the girls who have been completely submitted! I'm setting a tentative due date for all the forms by August 30th, but don't feel rushed if you can't get yours in on time. please PM me if there's any reason you can't send everything in by then, and I promise I'll give you gracexD**

 **thanks to all my awesome reviewers, Thursdaypants13, jenhen48, drakel19088, shadeslayerprincess111, Jcuret98, chocolatebunnyhills, IndianaNovak, and Shannaenae** (x3) **! yall are awesome!**

 **~lexi**


	5. Chapter 4

THE PUPPET MASTER

Chapter Four

* * *

~Jared~

The guilt was eating me alive.

Every time Jaxon would flash those puppy dog eyes at me, I felt another wave of remorse for being so harsh on him.

I constantly had to remind myself that this wasn't his fault, and he didn't deserve my bitterness. We were both victims in this mess.

But that didn't stop me from ranting to him about decorum and inappropriate behavior after he whistled at Arabella Livinely on the Report.

Granted, it was not professional behavior. But he didn't deserve me going off at him like I did. I regretted it the moment I walked away, and it has been nagging at me ever since.

I honestly doubt that he's still even thinking about it, but it keeps eating at me. Why did I have to be so harsh on him? But my foolish pride kept me from apologizing, so here we are. Still not speaking and feeling incredibly uncomfortable whenever we're in the same vicinity.

I know it will need to change soon. The selected arrived yesterday, and their makeovers and send offs were featured on the Report. However, Jaxon and I were about to meet them for the interviews, and in order for Lillian's brilliant plan to work, we had to collaborate.

I was already second guessing this whole ordeal. How were we supposed to share 35 girls? What if we both fell in love with the same one? We definitely didn't need anything more to argue about.

* * *

Lady Emory Beckett seemed to light up the room with her cheery smile and bright composure. Her flowered dress and blonde hair contributed to her cute, optimistic look.

"Lady Emory," Jaxon smiled at her, gently kissing her hand and guiding her toward the seat. She cast me a confused glance as he kept a comforting hand on her back.

"It's very brave of you to come here, and before we get started, and I would like you to know that I really admire you and your bravery," Jaxon said, mouthing the word 'blind' to me very obviously.

I cringed. Mental facepalm.

"I appreciate that. Being deaf is a challenge that is rather difficult to overcome," Emory spoke, her voice slightly off kilter. Her words hit their mark and Jaxon blushed beat red.

I was almost dying from second hand embarrassment, but it was rather amusing to watch Jaxon attempt to hastily recover.

"Um, of course. Deaf. It must have taken a lot of work, to learn to read lips. Because you can see our lips very well, can't you?" He spoke very quickly, obviously piecing together that she had seen him conveying to me that he thought she was blind.

I jumped in before Emory could respond, not wanting to see Jaxon make an even bigger fool out of himself.

"Lady Emory, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have some questions to ask you that will help us get to know you better. You have three minutes to answer. Just say the first thing that comes to mind, alright?" I explained the process as best I could, hoping she would understand.

"Okay!" Her cheerful disposition brought a smile to my face, even as I pulled out the first index card. "Fruits or vegetables?"

"Fruits," her answer came quickly, with no sign of hesitation. "I love mango, kiwi, oranges, and mellons. They're probably my favorite foods," she gushed.

"Really? I love oranges! They're my favorite food too!" I blurted, unable to maintain a professional decorum. I was just really passionate about oranges.

"You can't go wrong with fruits," Emory giggled.

"I agree," Jaxon piped in. "Besides, no one likes vegetables. Brussel sprouts? Ugh! I mean, they're just so green and salty and…" Jaxon trailed off awkwardly, blushing under our gazes. "Um, nevermind. Next question!"

He quickly reached for the next index card of the stack, reading it rapidly.

"Fiction or non-fiction?"

"Fiction! I love to read, fantasy and historical fiction are probably my favorite genres. I would read all day if I could," she replied without missing a beat.

Jaxon jumped in, seeming eager to have something to contribute.

"Did you know I once read a 400 page book in one day? Granted, it was because my best friend made me read it -" I noticed his eyes dart toward the back of the room where the rest of the selected sat patiently - "but it was a really good book, and it was old English, so it was hard to read too!" Jaxon declared pridefully, inciting a giggle from Emory.

"Really? What book was it?"

"Jane Eyre. Good book. Four hundred and eighteen pages of greatness, that book, and I read it all in one day. Impressive, right?"

"Very! I loved Jane Eyre! It's one of my favorites, actually. I'm glad that you've read it," she said, smiling fondly at the idiot, who was grinning like a fool.

I cleared my throat, anxious to participate.

"We don't have much time left, so we should probably move to the next question." I shuffled through the cards quickly, skipping past the one that asked if she preferred Dora or Elmo. "Email or letter?"

Again, she answered very quickly with confidence.

"Letter. Handwritten letters are just so much more meaningful, you know? I've always thought it's so romantic when people write to each other. It'd just be so incredible to receive a long, thoughtful, handwritten letter," she gushed.

I smiled fondly at her.

"I'm afraid that we're out of time, but I completely agree. Letters just show how much time and energy someone invests in you," I commented, causing her to beam at me.

"It was really nice meeting both of you," she curtsied before gracefully bouncing back to her seat.

"She's energetic, isn't she?" remarked Jaxon. "I like her." Though I didn't want to admit, I actually agreed with him. Emory was such a sweet girl that you couldn't help but like her.

"I can't believe you thought she was blind," I moaned, laughing when Jaxon's cheeks flamed.

"Shut up," he muttered, avoiding my eyes. I chuckled, clearing my throat as I looked at the next name on the list.

"Lady Constance Fabre," I called.

A gorgeous brunette with the figure of a model approached us with a bright smile.

"Lady Constance," I gestured toward the empty seat, which she lowered herself to after curtseying.

"Your Highnesses," she addressed us respectfully, her sweet sounding accent giving away her French descent.

"So, Constance, we have three minutes together, and during that time, we're going to ask you a series of this or that questions that will allow us to get to know you better. Sound fun?" Jaxon explained the rules eagerly, grabbing an index card as soon as Constance nodded.

"Cats or dogs?"

"Cats," Constance answered immediately without hesitation. "I mean, I don't mind dogs, but I've always wanted a cat," she sighed dreamily.

I could almost hear Jaxon's ears perk up and sighed as he began an animated conversation of her about cats.

"Really? I love cats! I have three of them, actually: Buttercup, Chocolate Milk, and Anastasia," he gushed. They're my favorite things in the world! I brought them all here, of course, so I'll have to introduce you to them!"

"That'd be so great! I'd also like to hear the stories of how you named the cats. Real creative," Constance teased him.

"Oh, don't make fun! Buttercup and Chocolate Milk are very meaningful names, I'll have you know," he said, pointing a threatening finger at her. "And Anastasia is my favorite princess movie. It's incredible!"

"You're not wrong about that," Constance admitted playfully.

"Jaxon's cats are great," I interjected, "but we should move on to the next question." I was amused by their banter and felt bad interrupting, but we were almost out of time already.

"Coffee or tea?"

Again, she answered without a pause. "Tea, definitely. Coffee isn't bad, but one of my favorite things to do is snuggle in a blanket and read a good book with a hot cup of tea." I couldn't help but smile at this adorably cheerful girl with a cute accent.

"I completely agree. Tea is my go to drink when I need to relax," I added, forcing myself to look cool and not do a little dance when Constance beamed at me.

"It's been lovely meeting you, Lady Constance, but I'm afraid our time is up," Jaxon spoke mournfully. "I hope to see you soon!"

"I'll have to take you up on that offer to introduce me to your cats," Constance teased, curtseying to each of us. "It was a pleasure to meet you both."

Jaxon and I exchanged looks as she walked away.

"We're keeping her," he said decisively as I nodded along.

"Lady Chelsea Della Rovere." Jaxon's eyes shot to mine, and I answered the unspoken question shining in his eyes. "Yes, this one's blind. But don't treat her any differently, okay?" He nodded obediently, but I could already see his mind wandering.

Lady Chelsea was very pretty, with pale skin, light blonde hair, and delicate features, but her looks seemed to be the last of Jaxon's concerns.

Leading Chelsea toward the sofa was a friendly looking golden retriever. Jaxon's eyes grew as wide as saucers and he looked at the me, the dog, and back at me again.

"It's a dog!" He mouthed energetically, waving his hands around like a little girl. I rolled my eyes and resisted burying my face in my hands.

As Chelsea approached, Jaxon cleared his throat, speaking clearly and tentatively.

"May I… pet your dog?" I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping Chelsea wouldn't notice that the Prince of Illea hadn't asked who she was and had instead skipped right to her dog.

However, she nodded, a hint of bewilderment displayed on her face.

"His name is Domino," she said, a bit indignantly.

"Lady Chelsea," I addressed her, throwing Jaxon a pointed look as he sat on the ground with the dog.

"Prince Jared, Prince Jaxon," she said with a small curtsey. Thankfully, she seemed to find Jaxon's playfulness and immaturity endearing, so I resisted reprimanding him.

"Lady Chelsea, it's wonderful to have you here, but we only have three minutes to get to know you, so in that time, we're going to ask you as many this or that questions to get to know you better as we can. Does that sound okay?" Jaxon asked hesitantly, obviously nervous that he would say something wrong.

"Of course." She folded her hands on her lap and leaned forward slightly, eager to begin.

"So. Our first question is… chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate. I'd kill for dark chocolate," she answered confidently.

"Dark chocolate is the best food to ever be invented," I agreed quickly. "I'll have to bring you to the palace kitchen sometime, they make the best chocolate; I'd probably be willing to murder to get my hands on a piece of that."

"Oh, I like the sound of that," Chelsea laughed.

"Next question: Studying or partying?"

"Studying."

"Edgy or girly?"

"Girly."

"Dresses or skirts?"

"Probably… skirts." We shot questions at her and she answered rapidly and without elaboration, almost as though she was in a race.

Jaxon drew the next card but faltered halfway through his sentence.

"Black and white or…" he looked up at me with terrified, pleading eyes before showing me the card that read 'black and white or color.'

"Or?" Chelsea prompted, clearly growing impatient. I shrugged at Jaxon helplessly, slightly amused by his comic desperation. He gulped, shot me one more pleading look, before giving her an answer.

"Um, the card has a spot on it… I can't read it! I think it's water! Moving on…" he coughed awkwardly, but Chelsea seemed determined to answer the question.

"Just take a guess," she suggested. "Black and white or…?"

"Black and white or color?" Jaxon flinched at Chelsea's cold look. "I'm sorry, that's a really inconsiderate question, considering that you're… I really didn't mean to offend you!" he stuttered.

"You don't need to worry about offending me. I know I'm blind, you can say it out loud like a mature adult," she responded cooly. I bit back a snicker as Jaxon's cheeks flamed.

"I'm sorry!" He squeaked nervously.

"Color."

"What?"

"The answer. It'd be color," Chelsea stated. I smiled to myself. I liked this girl.

"Lady Chelsea, it was lovely meeting you, but our three minutes are nearly up," I imposed.

"Of course. I just have one quick request: may I feel out each of your faces so I can get a good idea of what you look like?" Though we were both bewildered by her demand, we immediately agreed and paused awkwardly as her delicate hands roamed our faces.

After a moment, she stepped back and pointed to Jaxon.

"You have cheekbones for days, and you-" she swiveled around to point at me - "have a jawline that could cut. You both seem to be really good looking," she stated matter-o-factly before walking back to her seat, led by her seeing eye dog.

I almost had to stuff my fist in my mouth to stop myself from laughing, but Jaxon wasn't having the same success. He was laughing loudly, though his ears were turning progressively pinker. After exchanging an amused glance with him, we called the next girl up.

* * *

After an exhausting amount of conversation, we had spoken to every one of the girls. However, agreeing on one to eliminate was a more difficult problem. We argued back and forth on several girls, and ended up agreeing on 2 to eliminate. However, Maddison Bailey, an obnoxious three who had food stuck in her teeth and spent most of the meeting picking, was a unanimous decision.

After a grueling day of being social and meeting girls, I was ready to crash. But as I drifted to sleep, clearing everyone from the day from my mind, there was one girl in particular whose face I couldn't seem to forget.

* * *

heyyyy! okay, before you say anything, just know that i hate myself more than you hate me. i'm a terrible person. i suck. i know, im very difficult to work with, considering that i havent updated in months, and i know many of you are very frustrated, but i promise im getting better. thanks so much for those of you who are sticking with me. christmas break is next week, so ill have so much more time and will start getting ahead on the chapters. im super sorry for making yall wait so much, but i promise i havent given up on the story! i have plans for it and definitely plan on sticking with it for a long time. i dont deserve reviews, and yet im gona ask for them anyway. please review! i know it doesnt seem like it, but they really do give me motivation to continue writing.

also, i know this chapter was kinda awkward and ended really abruptly, but i really wanted to post it and ive been having terrible writers block, so i figured better late and sucky than never. anyway, i love yall for sticking with me and i apologize again!

-lexi


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